Lateral Motion Freestanding Hammock

ABSTRACT

A lateral motion freestanding hammock has a base frame assembly for standing on a floor, and the base frame assembly further comprises a first end structure, at a first end, a second end structure at a second end, and a first middle bar connecting the first end structure to the second end structure. A net supported by the base frame assembly has a first rocker formed as a curved structure and has a contact surface for a floor. The curved structure has a curvature in a lateral direction for rocking in a lateral direction. The first end structure comprises a first upright at the first end. A second rocker is formed as a curved structure and has a contact surface for a floor. The curved structure has a curvature in a lateral direction for rocking in a lateral direction.

application claims priority from provisional application filed Jan. 20,2009 Ser. 60/205,503 entitled Lateral Motion Freestanding Hammock byinventor Yong S. Chu.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Cross-References to Related Applications

N/A

2. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to furniture for indoor and outdoor tohold a user up in a lying down position and to provide the user anatural rocking motion while in position.

3. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37CFR 1.97 and 1.98

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and usewhich give rise to the objectives described below.

The present invention is a freestanding hammock for a user to lie downon a supporting area that is preferably cushioned and to experience alateral rocking motion while lying down. The hammock has a base frameassembly comprising at least two and spaced-apart curved parts against afloor and an upstanding structure on each curved part and a hold areaover the upstanding structure to fix a net over the base frame assembly.The base frame assembly is shaped to flex when the weight of the user isapplied on the net over the base frame assembly to provide a cushion onthe net. This apparatus thus requires a compact floor space and a simplestructure to provide a similar rocking motion of a traditional hammockwith its two ends tied to fixed poles standing on the ground.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a systemhaving advantages not taught by the prior art.

Another objective is to provide such a device that is compact in overallsize and requires a minimum floor space for installation.

Another objective is to provide such a system that provides a simplestructure so it is relatively easy to manufacture.

Another objective is to provide such a system that provides a lateralrocking motion to a user that is similar to a traditional hammock withits two ends tied to fixed poles standing on the ground.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following more detailed description, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way ofexample, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In suchdrawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment on a floor.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment with optionalheight adjustment on a floor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The lateral direction is the direction sideways from which a person'sarms would extend if a person were laying on the hammock. The lateraldirection is the width of the hammock net. The lengthwise dimension isgreater than the lateral dimension single person hammock. If there werea double person hammock, the lengthwise dimension may be approximatelyabout the same as the lateral dimension. The rectangular net would havea lengthwise dimension and a lateral dimension. In this hammock just asin traditional hammocks, the rectangular net would be rigidly supportedalong a lateral edge and not supported along a lengthwise edge.

The above described drawing FIG. 1 illustrates the invention, a lateralmotion freestanding hammock 10, comprising a base frame assembly 12standing on a floor and a net 50 supported by and over base frameassembly 12. Base frame assembly 12 comprises a first end structure 24,at one end, a second end structure 34 at the other end, and a firstmiddle bar 20 and a second middle bar 22 connecting first end structure24 and second end structure 34. First end structure 24 comprises a firstrocker 26 as a curved structure and contact surface on the floor, afirst right upright 28 at one end of first rocker 26 and stretchingsubstantially upward thereon, a first left upright 30 at the other endof first rocker 26 and stretching substantially upward thereon, a firstnet holder 32 horizontally placed over uprights 28, 30 for receiving oneside of a net 50. In FIG. 1, in first end structure 24, two uprights 28,30 are shown but essentially only one upright is sufficient to supportfirst net holder 32 and the single upright may be placed on any sectionof first rocker 26 stretching generally upward thereon. A second endstructure 34 comprises a second rocker 36 that is a curved structurewith a contact point or contact segment on the floor at any givenposition just like first rocker 26, a second right upright 38 fixedlyattached at one end of second rocker 36 stretching substantially upwardthereon and a second left upright 40 fixedly attached at the other endof second rocker 36 stretching substantially upward thereon, a secondnet holder 42 placed horizontally over uprights 38, 40 to receive theother side of net 50. Uprights 38, 40 may be replaced with a singleupright post upwardly fixed on second rocker 36. First middle bar 20 andsecond middle bar 22 structurally connect and support first endstructure 24 and second end structure 34 as shown in FIG. 1.

Net 50 is tied on first net holder 32 of first end structure 24 andsecond net holder 42 of second end structure 34. Net 50 preferably has apair of sleeves, the first sleeve fitting over the first net holder, andthe second sleeve fitting over the second net holder. Net 50 is of aflexible material or a combination of segments of hard material andlinks that conforms to the user's body for comfort and distributespressure on the user's body when the user lies down on it. In FIG. 1,net 50 has sleeves on two opposite ends to hold net holders 32, 42, butthe sleeves can be replaced with a number of string loops over the netholders or strings with ends and the ends can be anchored to the topportion of end structures 24, 34. Net 50 may be a stretching material toprovide some cushion for the user, or it can also be non-stretchingmaterial but flexible and base frame assembly 12 may provide the cushioneffect on the net by flexing the frame. The material for the frame canbe sized to provide some flex when the user puts her or his weight onnet 50. For more cushion effect, only one of middle bars 20, 22 may beused to connect end structures 24, 34.

FIG. 1 shows the embodiment with end structures 24, 34 angled outwardfrom each other as they stretch upward from their floor contact points.Because the floor contact points may create pinching points for theuser's feet they are placed under and inside the net area to clear theuser's feet in most circumstances.

An adjustment means is a device for adjusting a height of the endstructures relative to the ground. End structures 24, 34 may bedifferent in height so that net 50 can be installed at an angle toprovide the user a preferred position when lying down. The height of atleast one of end structures 24, 34 may be adjustable for the user so heor she may set a preferred angle for the net. The adjustment means canbe on the uprights of end structures 24, 34, and one way to perform theheight adjustment is a set of telescoping tubes with holes on them touse a pin 52 to fix the height as widely used in the field of the art.Telescoping tubes can be of different diameter with the larger diametertube fitting in a sliding configuration relative to a smaller diametertube. The larger diameter tube could be the higher or lower tube, andthe smaller diameter tube could be the higher or lower tube. Thetelescopic tube configuration can be fixed with a pin, a bolt, or a clipor other means.

The apparatus rocks laterally on the floor by a pair of curved edges orbars as shown in FIG. 1. The contact surface on the curved parts maydamage the wood floor if the curved parts are of harder material thanthe wood floor. In such case, the curved parts can be covered withsofter material such as rubber or equivalent to protect the floor.

The user may access to the bedding area of the apparatus preferably fromopen side edges, not the sides with end structures 24, 34, of net 50that is hung between two end structures. He or she lies down on the netand simply by alternately shifting her or his body weight slightly fromthe left to the right or vice versa, the apparatus rocks laterally. Andwith the structure tuned to flex upon a person's body weight on the net,the apparatus also provides cushion effect on the net.

Although the invention has been disclosed in detail with reference onlyto the embodiments shown and described above, those skilled in the artwill appreciate that various other embodiments can be provided withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention isdefined only by the claims set forth below.

CALL OUT LIST OF THE ELEMENT

-   10 Freestanding Hammock-   12 Base Frame Assembly-   20 First Middle Bar-   22 Second Middle Bar-   24 First End Structure-   26 First Rocker-   28 First Right Upright-   30 First Left Upright-   32 First Net Holder-   34 Second End Structure-   36 Second Rocker-   38 Second Right Upright-   40 Second Left Upright-   42 Second Net Holder-   50 Net-   52 Pin

1. A lateral motion freestanding hammock, comprising: a. a base frameassembly for standing on a floor, wherein the base frame assemblyfurther comprises: i. a first end structure, at a first end, ii. asecond end structure at a second end, and iii. a first middle barconnecting the first end structure to the second end structure; b. a netsupported by the base frame assembly, wherein the net has a lateraldimension and a lengthwise dimension greater than the lateral dimension;c. a first rocker formed as a curved structure and having a contactsurface for a floor, wherein the curved structure has a curvature in alateral direction for rocking in a lateral direction, wherein the firstend structure comprises a first upright at the first end, wherein thefirst middle bar is above the first rocker and below the net; d. asecond rocker formed as a curved structure and having a contact surfacefor a floor, wherein the curved structure has a curvature in a lateraldirection for rocking in a lateral direction, wherein the second endstructure comprises a second upright at the first end; e. a first netholder horizontally fixed above the first rocker, for receiving a firstside of a net along the lateral dimension of the net, wherein the firstnet holder is generally parallel to the first rocker; and f. a secondnet holder horizontally fixed above the second rocker, for receiving asecond side of a net along the lateral dimension of the net, wherein thesecond net holder is generally parallel to the second rocker.
 2. Thelateral motion freestanding hammock, of claim 1 further comprising: anadjustment means.
 3. The lateral motion freestanding hammock, of claim 1further comprising: a second set of upright members comprising anauxiliary first upright, and an auxiliary second upright, wherein theauxiliary first upright rigidly connects between the first rocker andthe first net holder, and wherein the second upright rigidly connectsbetween the second rocker and the second net holder.
 4. The lateralmotion freestanding hammock, of claim 1 further comprising: a secondmiddle bar connecting the first end structure to the second endstructure.
 5. The lateral motion freestanding hammock, of claim 1wherein the net further comprises a first sleeve and a second sleeve,wherein the first sleeve fits over the first net holder, and wherein thesecond sleeve fits over the second net holder.
 6. The lateral motionfreestanding hammock, of claim 1 further comprising: an adjustmentmeans; and a second set of upright members comprising an auxiliary firstupright, and an auxiliary second upright, wherein the auxiliary firstupright rigidly connects between the first rocker and the first netholder, and wherein the second upright rigidly connects between thesecond rocker and the second net holder.
 7. The lateral motionfreestanding hammock, of claim 1 further comprising: an adjustmentmeans; and a second middle bar connecting the first end structure to thesecond end structure.
 8. The lateral motion freestanding hammock, ofclaim 1 further comprising: an adjustment means; and wherein the netfurther comprises a first sleeve and a second sleeve, wherein the firstsleeve fits over the first net holder, and wherein the second sleevefits over the second net holder.
 9. The lateral motion freestandinghammock, of claim 1 further comprising: a second middle bar connectingthe first end structure to the second end structure, wherein the netfurther comprises a first sleeve and a second sleeve, wherein the firstsleeve fits over the first net holder, and wherein the second sleevefits over the second net holder.
 10. The lateral motion freestandinghammock, of claim 1 further comprising: a second set of upright memberscomprising an auxiliary first upright, and an auxiliary second upright,wherein the auxiliary first upright rigidly connects between the firstrocker and the first net holder, and wherein the second upright rigidlyconnects between the second rocker and the second net holder; and asecond middle bar connecting the first end structure to the second endstructure.
 11. The lateral motion freestanding hammock, of claim 1further comprising: a second set of upright members comprising anauxiliary first upright, and an auxiliary second upright, wherein theauxiliary first upright rigidly connects between the first rocker andthe first net holder, and wherein the second upright rigidly connectsbetween the second rocker and the second net holder, wherein the netfurther comprises a first sleeve and a second sleeve, wherein the firstsleeve fits over the first net holder, and wherein the second sleevefits over the second net holder.